1.1 Technical Field
The present invention provides novel polynucleotides and proteins encoded by such polynucleotides, along with uses for these polynucleotides and proteins, for example in therapeutic, diagnostic and research methods.
1.2 Background
Technology aimed at the discovery of protein factors (including e.g., cytokines, such as lymphokines, interferons, CSFs, chemokines, and interleukins) has matured rapidly over the past decade. The now routine hybridization cloning and expression cloning techniques clone novel polynucleotides xe2x80x9cdirectlyxe2x80x9d in the sense that they rely on information directly related to the discovered protein (i.e., partial DNA/amino acid sequence of the protein in the case of hybridization cloning; activity of the protein in the case of expression cloning). More recent xe2x80x9cindirectxe2x80x9d cloning techniques such as signal sequence cloning, which isolates DNA sequences based on the presence of a now well-recognized secretory leader sequence motif, as well as various PCR-based or low stringency hybridization-based cloning techniques, have advanced the state of the art by making available large numbers of DNA/amino acid sequences for proteins that are known to have biological activity, for example, by virtue of their secreted nature in the case of leader sequence cloning, by virtue of their cell or tissue source in the case of PCR-based techniques, or by virtue of structural similarity to other genes of known biological activity.
Identified polynucleotide and polypeptide sequences have numerous applications in, for example, diagnostics, forensics, gene mapping; identification of mutations responsible for genetic disorders or other traits, to assess biodiversity, and to produce many other types of data and products dependent on DNA and amino acid sequences.
The compositions of the present invention include novel isolated polypeptides, novel isolated polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides, including recombinant DNA molecules, cloned genes or degenerate variants thereof, especially naturally occurring variants such as allelic variants, antisense polynucleotide molecules, and antibodies that specifically recognize one or more epitopes present on such polypeptides, as well as hybridomas producing such antibodies.
The compositions of the present invention additionally include vectors, including expression vectors, containing the polynucleotides of the invention, cells genetically engineered to contain such polynucleotides and cells genetically engineered to express such polynucleotides.
The present invention relates to a collection or library of at least one novel nucleic acid sequence assembled from expressed sequence tags (ESTs) isolated mainly by sequencing by hybridization (SBM), and in some cases, sequences obtained from one or more public databases. The invention relates also to the proteins encoded by such polynucleotides, along with therapeutic, diagnostic and research utilities for these polynucleotides and proteins. These nucleic acid sequences are designated as SEQ ID NO: 1-948 and are provided in the Sequence Listing. In the nucleic acids provided in the Sequence Listing, A is adenine; C is cytosine; G is guanine; T is thymine; and N is any of the four bases. In the amino acids provided in the Sequence Listing, * corresponds to the stop codon.
The nucleic acid sequences of the present invention also include, nucleic acid sequences that hybridize to the complement of SEQ ID NO: 1-948 under stringent hybridization conditions; nucleic acid sequences which are allelic variants or species homologues of any of the nucleic acid sequences recited above, or nucleic acid sequences that encode a peptide comprising a specific domain or truncation of the peptides encoded by SEQ ID NO: 1-948. A polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% identity to an identifying sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1-948 or a degenerate variant or fragment thereof. The identifying sequence can be 100 base pairs in length.
The nucleic acid sequences of the present invention also include the sequence information from the nucleic acid sequences of SEQ ID NO: 1-948. The sequence information can be a segment of any one of SEQ ID NO: 1-948 that uniquely identifies or represents the sequence information of SEQ ID NO: 1-948.
A collection as used in this application can be a collection of only one polynucleotide. The collection of sequence information or identifying information of each sequence can be provided on a nucleic acid array. In one embodiment, segments of sequence information is provided on a nucleic acid array to detect the polynucleotide that contains the segment. The array can be designed to detect full-match or mismatch to the polynucleotide that contains the segment. The collection can also be provided in a computer-readable format.
This invention also includes the reverse or direct complement of any of the nucleic acid sequences recited above; cloning or expression vectors containing the nucleic acid sequences; and host cells or organisms transformed with these expression vectors. Nucleic acid sequences (or their reverse or direct complements) according to the invention have numerous applications in a variety of techniques known to those skilled in the art of molecular biology, such as use as hybridization probes, use as primers for PCR, use in an array, use in computer-readable media, use in sequencing full-length genes, use for chromosome and gene mapping, use in the recombinant production of protein, and use in the generation of anti-sense DNA or RNA, their chemical analogs and the like.
In a preferred embodiment, the nucleic acid sequences of SEQ ID NO: 1-948 or novel segments or parts of the nucleic acids of the invention are used as primers in expression assays that are well known in the art. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the nucleic acid sequences of SEQ ID NO: 1-948 or novel segments or parts of the nucleic acids provided herein are used in diagnostics for identifying expressed genes or, as well known in the art and exemplified by Vollrath et al., Science 258:52-59 (1992), as expressed sequence tags for physical mapping of the human genome.
The isolated polynucleotides of the invention include, but are not limited to, a polynucleotide comprising any one of the nucleotide sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1-948; a polynucleotide comprising any of the full length protein coding sequences of SEQ ID NO: 1-948; and a polynucleotide comprising any of the nucleotide sequences of the mature protein coding sequences of SEQ ID NO: 1-948. The polynucleotides of the present invention also include, but are not limited to, a polynucleotide that hybridizes under stringent hybridization conditions to (a) the complement of any one of the nucleotide sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1-948; (b) a nucleotide sequence encoding any one of the amino acid sequences set forth in the Sequence Listing; (c) a polynucleotide which is an allelic variant of any polynucleotides recited above; (d) a polynucleotide which encodes a species homolog (e.g. orthologs) of any of the proteins recited above; or (e) a polynucleotide that encodes a polypeptide comprising a specific domain or truncation of any of the polypeptides comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in the Sequence Listing.
The isolated polypeptides of the invention include, but are not limited to, a polypeptide comprising any of the amino acid sequences set forth in the Sequence Listing; or the corresponding full length or mature protein. Polypeptides of the invention also include polypeptides with biological activity that are encoded by (a) any of the polynucleotides having a nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1-948; or (b) polynucleotides that hybridize to the complement of the polynucleotides of (a) under stringent hybridization conditions. Biologically or immunologically active variants of any of the polypeptide sequences in the Sequence Listing, and xe2x80x9csubstantial equivalentsxe2x80x9d thereof (e.g., with at least about 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 98% or 99% amino acid sequence identity) that preferably retain biological activity are also contemplated. The polypeptides of the invention may be wholly or partially chemically synthesized but are preferably produced by recombinant means using the genetically engineered cells (e.g. host cells) of the invention.
The invention also provides compositions comprising a polypeptide of the invention. Polypeptide compositions of the invention may further comprise an acceptable carrier, such as a hydrophilic, e.g., pharmaceutically acceptable, carrier.
The invention also provides host cells transformed or transfected with a polynucleotide of the invention.
The invention also relates to methods for producing a polypeptide of the invention comprising growing a culture of the host cells of the invention in a suitable culture medium under conditions permitting expression of the desired polypeptide, and purifying the polypeptide from the culture or from the host cells. Preferred embodiments include those in which the protein produced by such process is a mature form of the protein.
Polynucleotides according to the invention have numerous applications in a variety of techniques known to those skilled in the art of molecular biology. These techniques include use as hybridization probes, use as oligomers, or primers, for PCR, use for chromosome and gene mapping, use in the recombinant production of protein, and use in generation of anti-sense DNA or RNA, their chemical analogs and the like. For example, when the expression of an mRNA is largely restricted to a particular cell or tissue type, polynucleotides of the invention can be used as hybridization probes to detect the presence of the particular cell or tissue mRNA in a sample using, e.g., in situ hybridization.
In other exemplary embodiments, the polynucleotides are used in diagnostics as expressed sequence tags for identifying expressed genes or, as well known in the art and exemplified by Vollrath et al., Science 258:52-59 (1992), as expressed sequence tags for physical mapping of the human genome.
The polypeptides according to the invention can be used in a variety of conventional procedures and methods that are currently applied to other proteins. For example, a polypeptide of the invention can be used to generate an antibody that specifically binds the polypeptide. Such antibodies, particularly monoclonal antibodies, are useful for detecting or quantitating the polypeptide in tissue. The polypeptides of the invention can also be used as molecular weight markers, and as a food supplement.
Methods are also provided for preventing, treating, or ameliorating a medical condition which comprises the step of administering to a mammalian subject a therapeutically effective amount of a composition comprising a polypeptide of the present invention and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
In particular, the polypeptides and polynucleotides of the invention can be utilized, for example, in methods for the prevention and/or treatment of disorders involving aberrant protein expression or biological activity.
The present invention further relates to methods for detecting the presence of the polynucleotides or polypeptides of the invention in a sample. Such methods can, for example, be utilized as part of prognostic and diagnostic evaluation of disorders as recited herein and for the identification of subjects exhibiting a predisposition to such conditions. The invention provides a method for detecting the polynucleotides of the invention in a sample, comprising contacting the sample with a compound that binds to and forms a complex with the polynucleotide of interest for a period sufficient to form the complex and under conditions sufficient to form a complex and detecting the complex such that if a complex is detected, the polynucleotide of interest is detected. The invention also provides a method for detecting the polypeptides of the invention in a sample comprising contacting the sample with a compound that binds to and forms a complex with the polypeptide under conditions and for a period sufficient to form the complex and detecting the formation of the complex such that if a complex is formed, the polypeptide is detected.
The invention also provides kits comprising polynucleotide probes and/or monoclonal antibodies, and optionally quantitative standards, for carrying out methods of the invention. Furthermore, the invention provides methods for evaluating the efficacy of drugs, and monitoring the progress of patients, involved in clinical trials for the treatment of disorders as recited above.
The invention also provides methods for the identification of compounds that modulate (i.e., increase or decrease) the expression or activity of the polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention. Such methods can be utilized, for example, for the identification of compounds that can ameliorate symptoms of disorders as recited herein. Such methods can include, but are not limited to, assays for identifying compounds and other substances that interact with (e.g., bind to) the polypeptides of the invention. The invention provides a method for identifying a compound that binds to the polypeptides of the invention comprising contacting the compound with a polypeptide of the invention in a cell for a time sufficient to form a polypeptide/compound complex, wherein the complex drives expression of a reporter gene sequence in the cell; and detecting the complex by detecting the reporter gene sequence expression such that if expression of the reporter gene is detected the compound the binds to a polypeptide of the invention is identified.
The methods of the invention also provides methods for treatment which involve the administration of the polynucleotides or polypeptides of the invention to individuals exhibiting symptoms or tendencies. In addition, the invention encompasses methods for treating diseases or disorders as recited herein comprising administering compounds and other substances that modulate the overall activity of the target gene products. Compounds and other substances can effect such modulation either on the level of target gene/protein expression or target protein activity.
The polypeptides of the present invention and the polynucleotides encoding them are also useful for the same functions known to one of skill in the art as the polypeptides and polynucleotides to which they have homology (set forth in Table 2); for which they have a signature region (as set forth in Table 3); or for which they have homology to a gene family (as set forth in Table 4). If no homology is set forth for a sequence, then the polypeptides and polynucleotides of the present invention are useful for a variety of applications, as described herein, including use in arrays for detection.